Considering Special Areas of Study Abroad: Science and Engineering

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Research shows that U.S. science and engineering students are an underrepresented group of study abroad students. For the most part, the low number of science and engineering students studying abroad has to do with the policy of the home department or university, not with a lack of desire to go abroad on students' parts.

One of the top reasons science and engineering departments discourage their students from studying abroad is that the courses required to graduate with a degree in science or engineering have been carefully mapped out and sequenced. Going away for a semester may mean that you fall off this carefully constructed path and are unable to catch up in order to graduate on time.

Furthermore, finding exact equivalents to U.S. science and engineering courses may be difficult, if not impossible. Abroad universities may teach organic chemistry over the course of several semesters or modules instead of during one intensive semester, like in the United States.

Another problem that crops up for students who want to study abroad for only one semester is that many abroad universities offer science courses on an annual basis. This means that exams usually fall at the end of the entire school year as opposed to the end of the semester or term, making it difficult for the U.S. university to accept grades (if the student didn't take the entire course) or translate grades into matching equivalents.

Other reasons U.S. science and engineering students are discouraged from studying abroad include the following:

• Inadequate math skills: American undergraduate math skills tend to fall behind those of European undergraduates. The entrance requirements to European universities often include math skills that exceed math-skill expectations for first-year undergraduates in the U.S.
• Limited faculty support at home: Often, U.S. science and engineering students are hard pressed to find an adviser to assist them in finding an appropriate study abroad program because finding an adequate abroad program is a labor-intensive process that requires time and effort.
• Lack of sufficient funding: Finally, because of the way science and engineering curriculums have been designed, many science and engineering students who want to study abroad must add a fifth year or extra semester to their studies. This, of course, costs extra money! And if the student opts to study abroad in the summer instead, not only is finding funding difficult, but the possibility of summer employment is often eliminated.

So, given all these reasons not to go abroad, why should you bother? If you come up against a department with a firm "no credit will be granted for study abroad" policy, you may have to accept this and find another time to go abroad. If your department permits you to study abroad, but isn't exactly encouraging you to buy your plane ticket, you may hesitate to carry out your plans. Don't change your mind! You should still go!

To maximize your chances to study abroad, do lots of research to find a country and university where your major is taught similarly to the way your home university teaches it. For example, many Australian universities' engineering programs are similar to those in the U.S., whereas the trimester system and other factors make the British system unsuitable for many students. Discuss your options with your home university study abroad office or your study abroad program.